Boston College at UND

[PCM]

SFiP, I can assure you that the S-SM players got quite an eyeful tonight.

[farce poobah]

I wonder if conditioning had much to do with the Sioux comeback or if it was just Blais ripping them a new one during the 2nd intermission

I'm putting my money on conditioning. BC just couldn't keep up in the third period, and had we not taken the lead early in the third, I think the Sioux could have continued putting on great pressure.

Dean shortened the bench in the third too, after playing alot of all 18 players for the first 35-40 minutes.

[PCM]

Here's the USCHO recap of the Friday night BC-UND game. If it sucks, I don't want to hear about it.

[farce poobah]

SFiP, I can assure you that the S-SM players got quite an eyeful tonight.

And they got an earful. The atmosphere was good, starting with Fylling's goal, UND's first. Theoretically, a nice nite to make a good impression on young impressionable minds.

[PCM]

And they got an earful. The atmosphere was good, starting with Fylling's goal, UND's first. Theoretically, a nice nite to make a good impression on young impressionable minds.

There was quite a bit more to it than that, but I'm not going to say any more.

[sioux fan in phoenix]

SFiP, I can assure you that the S-SM players got quite an eyeful tonight.

I feel like I'm missing an inside joke with that winky smiley. Did you mean anything else?

I wonder if it would be an NCAA violation if the SS-M players were to visit the Sioux lockerroom after the game; would be a nice way to introduce young kids to the Sioux program. If the intent isn't to recruit, would it be sanctioned?

[sioux fan in phoenix]

Here's the USCHO recap of the Friday night BC-UND game. If it sucks, I don't want to hear about it.

Don't worry, your recaps suck only when the Sioux lose

[PCM]

Don't worry, your recaps suck only when the Sioux lose

Well, I think it sucks when the Sioux make me write a sucky recap.

[farce poobah]

A few postgame thoughts:

Comments re BC:

BC has tremendous speed, and that includes some big guys. They buzzed the Sioux for the first 30 minutes.

Note to the rest of the world - don't take penalties against BC. Their powerplay will kill you faster than you can say "Anderson sucks". Tremendous puck movement and playmaking.

Goaltending seems to be the weak link in their roster. Please, please, let some other team have that bugaboo this year.

Voce-Eaves-Eaves was as advertised.

Comments re UND:

Bucks! the guy is a scoring machine. Tremendous hands, great work on the late 3x5 PK.

I'd have voted Drew Stafford the #2 star ... he played hard all night long. Rare combination of hands, strength, and speed.

Really REALLY gotta shut down on the stickwork. Some plain inexcusable things ... like Greene's last penalty where his blade took off Eaves (?) helmet. (The guy was curling away from the net, it wasn't a scoring play, good grief...

Liked our own-zone positioning all night long. Hated the lack of poise with the puck for first 15 minutes, tho. BC pressure had something to do with that, but we were not ready for it.

Gutsy, gutsy play by Ryan Hale... After he stopped a BC break right in front of the goal in the mid-second, he went to the bench holding his shoulder, and I thought he was done for the night. He looks better and better on D all the time. I hope he stays there.

Nice to see Fylling get some reward. He continues to impress.

Blais shortened the bench the last half of the 3rd, and it really kept BC from mounting any serious threat after their last PP. Otherwise, we saw a fair amount of all 18 skaters....

I expect to see some Sioux changes for tomorrow night. Prpich back in the lineup, perhaps we'll see Stafford back with McMahon and Prpich. Lundbohm-Fylling-(Porter?), then as the other new combo. Also, I expect (hope) to see Palmo in the lineup (just a guess), as the speed of these games will suit his style.

========================

Oh - and for all those fans that made it LOUD at the Ralph, let's do it again tomorrow. Excellent atmosphere.

[sioux fan in phoenix]

Some Qs:

Did McMahon, Jones & Marvin play tonight?

How did Porter look?

R. Hale played defense?

I thought tonight would be the tougher of 2 nights for the Sioux, especially with Prpich out of the lineup. Tomorrow should be a little smoother for the guys considering they know what to expect.

Can't believe how Stafford is impressing so much against quality opposition--the guy's Mr. Clutch. If he can do these things against the top-ranked team as a 17 y/o, imagine what he'll be able to do as an 18, 19, 20 y/o. (Provided he stays around that long.) Instead of Parise being the center of attention the first few weeks, it's been the Bochenski & Stafford show...

Random musings:

Game kinda reminds me of last year when the Sioux came from 2 back in the 3rd period to defeat Michigan; different team & venue, but "deja vuish" in its early-season importance... Was nice to see Blais show patience & trust in J. Parise & not pull him when down 3-0... Was VERY nice to see the guys bury their chances & not clang 'em off the pipes...Wonder if we would have scored 6 goals on Reichmuth with the same chances...Reichmuth in a BC jersey would not be very nice for everyone else...Sioux outscored BC 6-2 when both teams were even strength...Will the Sioux's superior conditioning be negated as more teams get into game shape?...Prozac sales must be high in Massachusetts...

[sprig]

Here's the USCHO recap of the Friday night BC-UND game.

Appears, Pat, from your article, that the college rule for deflections off skates is the same as the NHL. Bochenski certainly turned his skate to allow the puck to deflect off it, but did not "kick" it in. In spite of the CSTV announcers saying over and over right to the end of the game it was an illegal goal, I'd guess it was legal. Never once did they discuss the "rule".

And the tv broadcast never did show the posters; I'm disappointed.

[lawkota]

SFiP:

Marvin, McMahon and Canady played together and had a strong defensive game. They never really generated any chances though. Marvin was especially sloppy with the puck. Jones played, I don't know how much ice time he got but he seemed to get the least of all the d-men. At first, I thought Smaby and Green were paired together, but the last half of the game Green paired with Schneider and Smaby and Jones saw less ice time. Fuher and Ryan Hale were very good.

I didn't really notice Porter. I think he was juggled between lines. Stafford was very impressive, obviously. But on his goal, I can't figure out why the BC goaltender felt he had to pokecheck the puck away when his d-man had Drew wrapped up fairly good. That goal was pretty and the product of a great individual effort, but it was a gift. Murray had a good game but in the first period and into the second, the Parise line was lost.

I don't think you can overstate the job Quinn Fylling did last night. Until Bochenski took over the game, Fylling was the best Sioux player on the ice.

BC is so dangerous in the offensive zone and they just don't let you clear. One of the best teams I've seen in this area. However, they are not good in their own zone (at least they weren't last night) and once we figured out how to break to center ice, we owned them.

The crowd was great. I was surprised that official attendance was 10,300 because it seemed more full. There was a smattering of empty seats though. One note, I heard that the students left 900 tickets on the table for the series (500 last night and 400 for tonight) that REA was able to resell.

[PCM]

Did McMahon, Jones & Marvin play tonight?

Yes, yes and yes. McMahon centered the fourth line with Lee Marvin on the left wing and Brian Canady on the right wing. Jones was paired with Smaby.

R. Hale played defense?

Yes. He was paired with Nick Fuher.

How did Porter look?

Porter played left wing on the third line, which was centered by Genoway and had Fylling on the right wing. Early in the game, this was UND's most effective line. They were hustling, hitting and creating scoring opportunities.

[sprig]

Canady was super on the first PK. BC did go just 2-8 with two 5 on 3's, and they obviously have plenty of skill for the PP. As someone else posted Bochenski really messed up the third period 5 on 3.

Smaby looks very good defensively also, good skater, with a few more games he should be a very good dman. Some big hits by Greene, that were, surprisingly, not whistled. THey were clean though.

Don't know who the BC player was that dived to draw the Hale penalty in period 3, but it was classic. Hale had a light hook on him initially but had released him entirely when he dived. Feet went above Hale's head. Somewhere along the line this diving has to be coached. It's so apparent in every game I've seen BC play.

[skateshattrick]

SFIP-

Porter was one of the few players that stood out the first 2 periods. Others were Marvin, Fylling and Stafford. These players in particular did a good job cycling down low and playing the body against a very quick BC team, particularly the 1st 2 lines of BC. The Sioux 1st line was not very effective for about a period and 1/2. Parise looked to be favoring his knee until the 3rd, Murray was getting manhandled by the BC defense (particularly No. 2), and Bochenski was invisible for the first 1/2 of the game. They also gave up the 3rd goal early in the 2nd, which was a combination of Greene not moving his feet and allowing Voce to make a great pass, and the forward not picking up Eaves in front of the net.

In defense of the 1st line, however, the Sioux took some stupid penalties. For those of you who defend Canady, it was his penalty that led to the the 1st goal. For a person who does not contribute much offensively and gets less ice time, that cannot happen. It is very typical, and I would not expect to see him in the lineup tonight. Hale also took a couple of costly penalties as he has a tendency to get his stick up high.

In the 3rd, Zach was not favoring his one leg as much and started to take over. The 2nd line with Stafford looked great. I thought that the defense looked pretty good 5 on 5, but the penalties were about 2-1 against the Sioux. I thought that Jones, Fuher, Schneider, Greene and Smaby all played well, although Smaby does make some freshman mistakes.

I would expect to see Porter in the lineup again, but would be surprised to see Canady.

[PCM]

Appears, Pat, from your article, that the college rule for deflections off skates is the same as the NHL. Bochenski certainly turned his skate to allow the puck to deflect off it, but did not "kick" it in.

Well, you have to remember, that is Dr. Bochenski's interpretation.

Here's what the "2004 NCAA Men's and Women's Ice Hockey Rules and Interpretatons" say about such matters (special thanks to GDM for providing me with a copy of said rules):

Pages HR-60 and HR61

Goals and Assists

SECTION 18a

c. A goal shall not be allowed in any of the following cases:

(2) If the puck has been kicked, thrown or otherwise deliberately directed into the goal by any means other than a stick;

(8) If a goal is scored by an attacking player carrying the puck into the cage upon any part of the body, or kicking the puck into the cage;

(10) If an attacking player intentionally propels or defelects the puck other than with the stick, or illegally with the stick and it bounds or deflects off the person or equipment of any player into the net.

As I interpret the rule, a goal can be scored off a skate deflection as long as the player did not deliberately or intentionally direct the puck into the goal using his skate. Because Bochenski admits that he deliberately turned his skate to deflect the puck in, it appears he violated the rule.

That being said, here is my impression of what happened. Schneider said he was simply trying to chip the puck in deep, but that attempt was partially blocked, which caused the puck to deflect toward the goal. Bochesnki and Forrest were tied up in front of the net.

Forrest said he expected the puck to come toward the net, which is why he tied up Bochenski's stick. However, he said he did not see the puck coming and didn't know how it got into the net. Bochenski said he did see the puck coming and intentionally turned his skate to deflect it it.

The word we initially received in the press box was that the puck went in off a BC skate and, therefore, the goal good. That's why Schneider initially received credit for the goal. However, at the time it happened, I was certain that it went in off Bochenski's skate, but that it was an accidental deflection rather than an intentional deflection. I didn't think that Bochenski saw the puck coming.

Between periods, I watched the video replay several times. It seemed to confirm what I'd initially seen. The puck went off Bochenski's skate, but it appeared that neither player was aware of where the puck was before it was deflected in.

If Bochenski did see the puck and did intentionally turn his foot to deliberately direct the puck into the goal, then he got away with one. He believes that as long as he didn't kick the puck in, it's legal. However, that is not how I would interpret the rules as stated above.

[sprig]

That is a bit different than the NHL. Appears subject to referee determining (guessing at) intent. Looking at the replay, couldn't tell whether Bochenski saw the puck, but he certainly turned his skate just before the puck got there. Judgement call, and the Sioux got the break.

[U2Bad1]

As long as he didn't make a kicking motion, it would be difficult to judge Bochenski's intent. Luckily UND won by 2 so it really isn't an issue.

[sioux fan in phoenix]

Thx a lot for the feedback! Who needs a seat at REA or webcast when we've got you guys to provide crystal-clear summaries?

Would question BC's reasons for diving if they are indeed coached; talented teams should be above that crap. I wonder if the NCAA penalizes divers like the NHL? But it sounds like some of you guys think some of the penalties were legit.

Staying out of the box will be crucial tonight. Hopefully Blais has a talk with the guys about the importance of a good, clean-fought game. A V or tie tonight will have the Sioux sitting really pretty in the PWR.

Again, thanks...

[Superman0099]

Well, since this is the first time I've seen the sioux play besides over a crappy internet feed this year, heres my take:

The sioux looked lost out there in the 1st. BC owned the ice, they were executing everything better and the sioux couldn't get anything going. I think the turning point in the game started with Ryan Hale's big hit that he went off the ice holding his shoulder. After that, things started going the Sioux's way.

Smaby is more of a project. He was making mistakes in the 1st, but he calmed down and played extremely well in the last half of the game. He's got all the tools to become an amazing D-man. And I expect him to be outstanding by the second half. He's already looking better after just a couple games.

Schneider... this team would be lost without him, he runs the show, no question about it. He's definately got what it takes to lead this team to the FF, and be an all-american.

Murray is fast, feisty, and not afriad of anything. He's trying moves that he could probably get away with in the BCHL, but not here. He'll come along soon. He's got loads of talent and speed, and he compliments the Bo/Parise combo very well.

Stafford... what can I say... This kid is unreal. With all the hype Murray got, I don't think this kid got enough credit. He's 17 and he is out there playing with the best team in the nation and holding is own. He's strong as hell, fast, and has great hands, a combo that you don't see often. This guy something special folks, he was possibly the best player on the ice last night for the Sioux. He's gonna score some huge goals this year. 2 games as a sioux, 2 GWG's.

Porter is impressing me more than I expected. He's a toughnosed grinder that cycles well and forechecks well. He's not gonna score alot of goals, but he will do a lot of good for the sioux this year behind the scenes. Players like Porter are crucial to championship calibur teams, and I'm glad Blais got this guy here. He is a great addition to the sioux, and his line with Fylling and Genoway was the best line on the ice for the Sioux in the first part of the game.

Genoway has done some work in the off season, and it shows. He's noticably stronger and faster, and he's playing very well so far this season. Again, not a guy who is gonna score alot, but Sioux faithfull can be comfortable with him and Porter out there together on a line. They work hard and even created some great opportunities for UND last night. This is what you like to see early in the season from guys who didn't make a lot of noise last year.

JP is a solid goaltender. He's no Reichmuth or anything, but he's solid and I feel more comfortable with him in the pipes than I ever did with Jake or Josh. He plays consistant and doesn't get flustered. Against BC it would be easy for him to lose it getting down 3-0 right away, but he kept his cool which is good for a freshman. He plays like a junior or senior in there, and that is very promising.

Overall the sioux have great depth this year. They can roll out 3 effective scoring lines, and have great team defense. They play very physical and can control the tempo of the game, which they did in the second half vs. BC. They are gaining confidence, and this season is going to be alot of fun.

Here's what I'd like to see tonight

Parise/Bochenski/Murray

Lundbohm/Stafford/Massen

McMahon/Porter/Prpich

Genoway/Fylling/Palmiscno

Schneider/Smaby

Jones/Greene

Fuher/Hale - I think Hale is playing very well on D. I like him in this position especially against BC.

[PCM]

As long as he didn't make a kicking motion, it would be difficult to judge Bochenski's intent.

It's not difficult to judge Bochenski's intent when he says he deliberately used his skate to deflect the puck into the net. I'd be surprised if he gets away with that again.

[redwing77]

So the league negates that goal. He doesn't get a hat trick, Sioux win 5-4. Doesn't change the outcome

That said, I still think he had an excellent game. No one mentioned how strong he was defensively too, deflecting a shot out of the zone on the penalty kill. Very good night both ways for Bo.

[sprig]

It's not difficult to judge Bochenski's intent when he says he deliberately used his skate to deflect the puck into the net. I'd be surprised if he gets away with that again.

Although that's no problem after the fact, given Bochenski's comments, it's still a tough call for a referee to determine intent at the time it happened, particularly if he didn't even see what it hit. Hard to argue either way, even with a replay.

With Bochenski's post game comment, it's obviously no goal. Bet you won't get the same post game comment next time, PCM, if he reads the rule

[farce poobah]

Would question BC's reasons for diving if they are indeed coached; talented teams should be above that crap. I wonder if the NCAA penalizes divers like the NHL? But it sounds like some of you guys think some of the penalties were legit.

Staying out of the box will be crucial tonight. Hopefully Blais has a talk with the guys about the importance of a good, clean-fought game. A V or tie tonight will have the Sioux sitting really pretty in the PWR.

Again, thanks...

The NCAA Rule Book contains a 2-minute minor provision for unsportsmanlike conduct that includes "diving". WCHA refs hardly ever call it (if anything they BUY it...grrrr). Refs in the central or east seem to call it more.

Agree about penalties. I think we can beat BC 5x5 (or even 4x4). But a string of power plays (even if its we get one, they get one), is likely a losing proposition for the Sioux. What bugs me was last night's unnecessary penalties ... I imagine the coaches have discussed that with the perps. (Well, OK the BC School of Diving bugged me too.)

GOOOOO SIOOOOOOOOUUUUUXXX!

[PCM]

Although that's no problem after the fact, given Bochenski's comments, it's still a tough call for a referee to determine intent at the time it happened, particularly if he didn't even see what it hit. Hard to argue either way, even with a replay.

I've seen many of those type of goals waved off, even where the intent was questionable. However, if the judgement of the officials on the ice was that it went in off a BC skate, then they had no choice but to call it a goal. I assume that you can't take it off the board after the official determination is made.